Using the site: A tutorial for newbies
Basic tutorial for new members
Hello new people! http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h5...ileys/welc.gif
I thought I would put together some information for new members that may have a little trouble getting used to LitNet. Since I have no way of guessing information stored in somebody's brain, I am writing this based on the assumption that you just got on the internet this morning and have no knowledge about using a forum. So, some parts will probably seem pretty basic to most of you, but oh well! :D If you have a question that isn't answered here, feel free to post a reply and ask.
To answer a post, click on the "post reply" button. It will be found in two spots: On top of the page of replies, or just underneath the last post of a thread. When you click on it, it opens up a window for you to write your response.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h5.../postreply.jpg
To start a new topic of discussion, (new thread) click on the new thread button.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h5.../newthread.jpg
Navigating:
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h5...navigating.jpg
Private Messages:
To send a private message, click on the avatar of the person you want to send it to.
Avatar:
An avatar is a small picture that can go under your user name. You can use one here, keeping in mind that this picture cannot be bigger than 100x100 pixels and must not be larger than 19.5 kb in size. You can make your own, or download one from a website such as this one; All Avatars. If you don't find any you like you can do a search on google for "free avatars".
User Control Panel:
User CP is where you go when you want to upload an avatar from your machine, personalize your profile, add a signature and customize a few other preferences.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h5...Picture300.jpg
Adding a picture to your post:
If the picture is fairly small (under 100 kb) in size you can attach it to your post. When making your reply look towards the bottom of the page and you will see a section with some different additional options. Click on "manage attachments" and you can attach a picture to your post. When your reply is complete, the image will not display directly in the post, but it will be available for viewing. If you would like a picture to display directly in your post, you will find a tutorial about that here.
Quoting:
So, you want to quote another member in your reply. In the lower right hand corner of their post you will see a little button labelled "quote". Clicking on that button will open up a reply window for you with that person's words enclosed with the forum code needed to quote somebody. Oh, but wait. You decide you want to quote two seperate people in your reply? Not a problem, to do that you use some very easy forum code.
Multiple quotes:
To do this all you need is a little bbcode. What that means is if I want to have just a quote, I enclose what I want to say with the following code MINUS the " marks.
"["quote]to be or not to be[/quote"]"
This tells the forum to put to be or not to be in a quote box.
Quote:
to be or not to be
If I want to quote somebody specific I use their name in the first instance of code and also use the = symbol.
"["quote=kathycf]I have a sock monkey[/quote"]" and I end the quote in the same way, with a /
Quote:
Originally Posted by kathycf
I have a sock monkey
Code is always surrounded by brackets "[" and the ending part always has a slash "/" . Remember not to use any spaces in your code, and to omit the quotation mark and that should work for you just fine.
"["quote=Mary Jones]Hi, I am Mary Jones[/quote"]"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mary Jones
Hi, I am Mary Jones
Forum Rules
Forum Staff
Why isn't my favorite author listed here with their own discussion forum?
Here is why!
Literature Network Blogs
How to qualify for and start your own blog.
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****Posting Images: --> a how to
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Text Field: how to increase or decrease
:thumbs_up
This is great Kathy, thank you so much for this :)
Maybe sometime in the future we can compile a specific FAQ that is alphabetised for even easier reference.
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One little 'tip' I want to add here that I myself only realised about a month ago: when you're composing your blog entry or forum post, in the top right corner of the grey message compose area, there are little grey up
http://www.online-literature.com/for...r/resize_0.gif
and
http://www.online-literature.com/for...r/resize_1.gif
down directional keys. By clicking those you can decrease or increase the box where you compose your post...for those of you who get a little wordy or just want it easier on the eyes, they are very handy :D
Private Messages: options
*hugs drama*
I have noticed a couple of people have mentioned they are trying to send PMs to others and can't. Here is the private message option in the user control panel.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h56/kathycf/PMs.jpg
So, here you can see the different options. This is mine, and I have enabled PMs and also a pop-up notifier when I get a new one. I like that because other wise I wouldn't think to check and might miss a PM, or not notice it until a few days go by.
You can limit PMs received to just buddy list members and mods. If you send a PM to someone who isn't on your buddy list they will not be able to reply. I have been here just about a year, and I don't have anybody on my buddy list, so I get messages from anybody. This isn't a problem because if someone harrasses you via PM, you can forward their message to a moderator and they will be dealt with.
Remember to periodically clean out your inbox and sent messages, so you can receive new ones. You can also download and save your PMs by going to the lower right hand corner of your inbox (or sent box) and you will see and option to "Download all Private Messages as:
XML | CSV | Text." I download mine as text files.
Private Messages: PM's almost at limit?
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When you get that big red bar warning you that your Private Messages are almost full? the way to deal with that is:
#1: Don't Panic! :)
A: If you want to first Save/Back Up your Private Messages?
When you are viewing your Inbox or Sent Items page, waaaay down at the bottom of the page on right hand side there are three links to Download all Private Messages as:
1. I usually download (d/l) mine as TXT (.txt) file, so that it opens up in Notepad, a simple and easy way to read/find/navigate them.
2. Or, you can d/l them as XML which opens them up as a web page, but it shows all the funky code, hard on the eyes.
3. Or, you can d/l them as CSV which opens them as a spread sheet, again funky on the eyes.
Once you have opened them in any of the above ways, you will see that both your Inbox and Sent items are there. (If you save them as a .txt file, you will see that the Sent Items show at the top. Scroll down the page and you will see that your
##############
Folder : Inbox
#############
items are there too.
Next all you have to do is Save that TXT, XML, or CSV file to where ever you happen to save stuff like that on your computer hard drive (your "My Documents" folder for example).
.
Note: downloading your Private Messages in any of the above ways does *not* delete them from your Inbox or your Sent Items folders. You then have to manually delete them, see below.
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B: If you just want to delete all of your Private Messages?
This method is the same whether viewing your Inbox or Sent Items page. Click the very top little white box on right-hand column so that a green check mark shows in *all* of the boxes beside each PM, then at the bottom of the page on right-hand side, select "Delete" and click the "Go" button.
Now your PM limit bar will look similar to this:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a57...itbargreen.jpg
Et voila! you can start PMing like crazy again and not worry that others will get a message that your PM box is full :lol:
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How to register at the forums
How to register at the Literature Network Forums
This is a step by step guide for everyone who has difficulty registering at the forum. If you have a problem with a specific step of the registration, use this quick overview to find the step you need in this guide.
1. The first step to registering
2. The forum rules
3. Filling in your information
4. Checking your email
5. Activating your account
6. Login in for the first time
7. Other guides
8. Troubleshooting (basic help if you can’t see any images)
1. The first step
In the illustration below, there are to encircled links. Either link will take you to the registration, and you only need to click on one!http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1.../register1.jpg
2. The Forum rules!
Make sure you read the forum rules, as they appear on the page (see image blow). You can scroll down by using the bar on the right of the text box.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1.../register2.jpg
After you have read the rules, click the little box encircled and number 2 on the image. Finally, press http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...sterbutton.jpg
3. Filling in your information
This is the biggest and most important step! Pay close attention. Each step is numbered in the image and corresponds as follows: 1 is 3.1 in the text. Etc.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1.../register3.jpg
You should see a screen that looks like the above, save for the red markings. On this page, you fill out all your personal information.
3.1 At the red number 1 you type in your username. Think carefully about this, as you will be stuck with it for the rest of your stay at the Lit-net.
3.2 The red number 2 is where you enter your password! Choose something you can remember, but is not too easy, a good passwords uses both letters and numbers. This is case sensitive you have to fill in your password twice. You will not see the password; instead you will see black dots. This is normal, and is done to protect your privacy.
3.3 Remember to give a VALID email address at number 3, since you will need it later to confirm your registration. Do not worry about unwanted junk mail; you won’t get any from the Literature Network!
3.4 This is a tricky bit, you have to match the letters and digits in the image to your right and enter them in the box. There are a few things that can go wrong here.
You may not be able to clearly discern the letters and digits in the image. The solution is to press the ‘refresh image’ link below the image until you get one that you can read.
You may not see an image at all, or a Red X. If this is the case, you should also not see any pictures in this guide! To check if your browser is set to not allow images, please see below in the troubleshooting section
3.5 This is entirely optional, and apart from the referrer, can always be changed at a later date.
3.6 This is the button you press when all is completed. Don’t press it just yet though.
Once you have filled out this information, it should look something like this:
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1.../register4.jpg
I’ve given myself the username Bobtheturnip, but you of course, should stick to your own choice of username. Note how the verification image matches with the text I’ve entered. Check if everything is correct. If you are sure everything is correct, press http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...compregist.jpg near the bottom.
If you encounter troubles after pressing the button, there might be one of the following problems:
- Your username already exists; the only option is to change your desired username.
- You might have made an error in the password. Try to type it again to see if it helps
- You have not correctly entered the letters and digits that were in the image.
Check if everything is now correct, you will always need to re-enter your password and verify the image, no matter what problem you encounter.
After you clicked http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...compregist.jpg, and all goes well, you are taken to a page with the following message:
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1.../register5.jpg
The circled email address is the address you filled in, and where the email message has been send.
You can now either opt to click the link in the message, keep it open, or close the current page.
Now, to the next step.
4. Checking your email
You should check your email inbox to see an email from ‘The Literature Network Forums’with the following heading:
Quote:
Action Required to Activate Membership for Literature Network Forums
Please note that it could take a while for this email to arrive, if you still didn't get it after a few minutes, check your junk mail folder, as it might be classified as junk email by the program you are using. If you don’t find it there, something might have gone wrong, perhaps you entered the address incorrectly.
The email should contain the following text:
Quote:
Dear bobtheturnip,
Thank you for registering at the Literature Network Forums. Before we can activate your account one last step must be taken to complete your registration.
Please note - you must complete this last step to become a registered member. You will only need to visit this url once to activate your account.
To complete your registration, please visit this url:
http://www.online-literature.com/for...703&i=97042917
<a href="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/register.php?a=act&u=37703&i=97042917">America Online Users Please Visit Here to be Activated</a>
**** Does The Above URL Not Work? ****
If the above url does not work, please use your Web browser to go to:
http://www.online-literature.com/for...ster.php?a=ver
Please be sure not to add extra spaces. You will need to type in your username and activation number on the page that appears when you visit the url.
Your Username is: bobtheturnip
Your Activation ID is: 97042917
If you are still having problems signing up please contact a member of our support staff at
[email protected]
All the best,
Literature Network Forums
5. Activating your account
5a) As you can read in the mail, the standard way is to complete registration is to click the first link in the mail. If you are an AOL user, you should click the second link.
This should take you to a page with the following message:
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...register6A.jpg
5b) If this does not work you can manually activate your account by copying the last url into your web browser. This is done by selecting it, and copy it by pressing ctrl + C together. Now open your web browser, click in the bar near the top, and press ctrl + V together. Now the url should be visible in the bar, and you can press enter to go the site.
You should now see a page with 2 empty textboxes:
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...egister6B1.jpg
In these boxes you can enter the information in the Email, in my case, this would be the following:
Quote:
Your Username is: bobtheturnip
Your Activation ID is: 97042917
Make sure you copy the information exactly and press http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...e/activate.jpg. If done correctly, you are taken the same message as in 5a.
If everything is done correctly, you will also get a second email to inform you of your successful registration.
Congratulations, you are now a member of the Lit-net Community. You can now log in using your username and passport and take part in the discussions.
6. Login in
This is the last step you need to take before you can take part in the forum.
On the top right of the main forum page, you will find these two fields
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1.../register7.jpg
Ticking the circled red box allows you to automatically log in everytime you visit the forum. You should nevercheck this box when you are on a public computer, or a computer to which multiple people have access. If you do, anyone who uses this computer will be able to post on the forum using your account, and possibly cause lots of problems on the site. It is okay to do this on your own private computer.
Here’s how it should look if you are ready to log in. Note that again, the password is displayed as *, to prevent anyone from seeing it.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...register7B.jpg
All that’s left to do is press http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...sage/login.jpg and you’re ready to go make your first post.
7. Other guides
To find out how to post messages or start threads, click >here<
The link will take you to a thread with information on how to post messages, as well as other guides, including this one.
Of course, you can also go to the FAQ (or frequently asked questions), where you can find links to all this information and more. Click here for the FAQ
8. Troubleshooting
8.1 No images
If you don’t see images when surfing the internet, it is possible your browser has disabled this option. In order to have images appear, you should adjust your browser options.
8.1a) If you are using firefox, do the following: go to extra in the top menu bar, and select options, you should see a screen similar to the one below. http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...firefoximg.jpg
Now press the ‘content’ button near the top. It is circled in the image. This should bring you to a screen with several options. One of these options has an arrow pointing at it in the picture, this is the one that needs to be checked. If it isn’t, check it, and you should be able to see the image next time you try to register. If it is checked, and you still cannot see the image, there might be something else that is wrong with your browser. Go to theFirefox official help site for further assistance, or if you have other questions regarding the use of your browser.
8.1b) Internet Explorer
Depending on which version of IE you have, this is done a little differently
- Version 6:
On the menu bar, select tools then internet options
When in the menu, click on the advanced tab.
Under settings: multimedia check the box that says show pictures
- For version 7
Click on extra in the top right corner, just below the search bar. Next click oninternet options
You should now be in a menu. There you can click the advanced tab.
In the Settings scroll down until you see multi-media
There should be line that says display images make sure this is turned on.
If you are still unable to see the image, something else might be wrong with your browser Microsoft support
The problem could also be with something else on the computer, unfortunately, it is impossible to cover all posibilities in this little guide.
This is the end of the guide
